Hostas slugs/snails

“Digging them out” not doffing . What’s wrong with me today ?

My roses are covered in greenfly too and every previous year I have resorted to soapy water and sprays but this year I have decided to leave them alone and hope that ladybirds will come and eat them. Already several ladybirds are there. There's been much discussion lately about the reduction in insect numbers so I'm trying to be more co friendly.

Eco friendly

I think the 2 lupins are beyond help now genie I’ve just washed and sprayed them with soapy water again but the ( not yet open) flowers are all but eaten away as are most of the stems . What a sorry state . I think I’d need a million ladybugs ? to deal with this !

Dear Gillybob I think you can buy ladybirds on the internet.!!!

Aphids are a real nuisance on all garden plants because they multiply so quickly and at the start of the season ( now) there are not enough ladybirds to eat them.
Organic Bug Sprays work but you will need to spray 2 or 3 times a week to keep numbers down. Modern garden insecticides are systemic and last 3 or 4 weeks and for some plants that may be the only practical treatment.

Yes you can loopy I’ve had various worms and things from Wiggly Wigglers but I was thinking ? won’t ladybirds just fly straight off as soon as I release them?

A few yrs ago I collected about 100 slugs and snails in my garden in about a day.

They were buried deeply. I have not seen so many lately.

Resurgram - I think baby slugs develop deep in the ground so perhaps that's what you found.
We used to have slimy orange ones. They're one of the few creatures that I hate, and can't understand why God created them.
Plus mosquitoes.

Well I watched last night, expecting to see some wonderful, enlightening new way of dealing with slugs.
All she did was go out at silly o’clock, and collect them by torchlight and her hands! I wonder why that qualified for a RT mention ?
Lovely hostas though.

I cut back a lot of the flowers under our front window, as it was getting really scruffy. The rest needs me to dig out the roots of the vinca.

It is a snail heaven there now.
If I do not get it tided my garden path will be impassible.

If it stays dry I will try to clear it up.

I have resorted to dropping slugs and snails into a deep bucket of salty water.
Try nematodes .

I have some trailing begonias in chimney pots. I know we have loads of snails around (they are nesting in bottom of chimney pots at times). We also have several hedgehogs.

This year something has been destroying my begonias. First it was just a hole or two in centre of leaf. Now the whole plant looks sick.

In the past I used slug pellets, I still have some but am scared to use them now as I don't want to hurt other wildlife, or my cats.

I really can't face picking up loads of snails. What else can I do please? I may try the WD40 half way up the chimney pot, although it would mark the pot with oil.

Birds gilly the greenfly were romping away but are now disappearing fast. I watch all the small birds picking every Rose etc over for the little beasties and have the satisfaction that the chicks are being well fed.

Auntieflo , that’s the way to do it, it works! Doesn’t have to be by torchlight either.

Salt water does help. Collect them and drop them in a bucket .

They leave the hostas alone but munch the acanthus to lace .

For some years my hostas have been in pots with copper tape around them. Keeps the little blighters at bay and no damage. It’s fascinating to see how they rear away from it. We don’t get many slugs here but legions of snails. Their favourite place seems to be underneath the rockery plants overhanging the wall, from where they are collected and deported!

My hostas are surrounded by gravel, in a bed between a gravel path, a fence and next doors gravel path. A lot of gravel has got into the soil and lies on the top. As a result my Hostas stay picture perfect.

The salt water thing is cruel! Squidge 'em underfoot. Quickly.

Or chuck them over the fence.

Thowing them over the fence does no good at all. They have been proven to migrate back home.

Slugs and snails cannot and won't cross over holly leaves or pine needles. Try them. Natural and free.